Chester’s budget inches up

The town of Chester’s 2015 budget, approved last week by the town board, calls for spending $3,826,613 offset by $2,672,831 in revenues and $165,000 drawn from the fund balance, leaving $998,782 to be raised by taxes. This tax levy is a 0.3 percent increase from 2014.

Expenditures for 2015 reflect a 1.56 percent increase over 2014.

Among increased expenditures is a 3 percent boost in wages and salaries, for both union and non-union personnel. This increase is extended to both elected and appointed officials. Over the past five years, pay increases for Chester personnel have ranged between 2 percent and 3 percent.

Highway paving & reconstruction for 2015 is budgeted at $364,500 expected to be spent this year in addition to the state CHIPS road maintenance funding. This portion paid by the town is a substantial increase from the $259,000 expected to be spent this year.

Town officials said this increase in 2015 allows additional paving and reconstruction of more town roads — considered a top priority to prevent fast roadway degradation that would result in far higher future costs. In recent years, due to prevailing financial constraints, the town has budgeted as little as $100,000 per year towards road repaving.

The Chestertown Water District has appropriated $100,000 for refinishing a water storage tank, as mandated by the state Health Department.

Budgeted for the Loon Lake Park District is $100,000 to pay for engineering upgrades to the Loon Lake Dam — either substantial rehabilitation or replacement. Also, $50,000 is budgeted for work on abatement of the lakeweed Eurasian Milfoil over the next three years.